Volume II · Chapter 16
Applied (Secondary) Dominants
MUSIC 20B · C-ID MUS 130Chapter quiz →
In the musicianship bookChapter 19: The Dominant of the DominantChapter 20: Secondary Dominants
Introduction: Borrowing a Dominant
Every major or minor triad in a key can be made to sound, briefly, like a tonic. All you need is its own dominant. Put an E-major chord in front of A minor in the key of C, and for a moment A minor sounds like home, even though the piece is still in C major. This is tonicization, and the borrowed dominant is called an applied dominant (or secondary dominant).
Applied dominants are the most common source of chromatic notes in tonal music. They add color and, above all, direction: each one points strongly at the chord it tonicizes.
Click any example to hear it. Applied chords are shown in red.
Naming and Spelling Applied Dominants
We write an applied dominant as V/x ("five of x") or V7/x, where x is the chord being tonicized, the target. To spell one:
- Find the root of the target chord. (In C major, the target ii is D minor; its root is D.)
- Go up a perfect 5th: that's the root of the applied dominant (A).
- Build a major triad (V) or a dominant seventh chord (V7) on that root, adding whatever accidentals it needs: A–C♯–E(–G).
| Applied chord in C major | Notes | Target | Chromatic notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V7/ii | A – C♯ – E – G | D minor | C♯ |
| V7/iii | B – D♯ – F♯ – A | E minor | D♯, F♯ |
| V7/IV | C – E – G – B♭ | F major | B♭ |
| V7/V | D – F♯ – A – C | G major | F♯ |
| V7/vi | E – G♯ – B – D | A minor | G♯ |
| Applied chord in A minor | Notes | Target | Chromatic notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V7/III | G – B – D – F | C major | none (all in the key) |
| V7/iv | A – C♯ – E – G | D minor | C♯ |
| V7/V | B – D♯ – F♯ – A | E major | D♯, F♯ |
| V7/VI | C – E – G – B♭ | F major | B♭ |
| V7/VII | D – F♯ – A – C | G major | F♯ |
Notice V7/III in minor: every note is already in the natural-minor scale (it's the same chord as VII7), so it works without any accidentals. And V7/IV in major is just the tonic triad with a lowered seventh added (C–E–G–B♭).
Finding Applied Dominants When You Analyze
Accidentals are your clue. When a chord contains a note that isn't in the key:
- Spell the chord and find its root and quality.
- If it's a major triad or a dominant seventh chord, it's probably an applied dominant. Go down a perfect 5th from its root to find the target.
- Check the next chord: an applied dominant usually resolves to its target.
A helpful rule of thumb: a raised note (a sharp, or a natural that cancels a flat) is usually the temporary leading tone and wants to go up a half step; a lowered note (a flat, or a natural that cancels a sharp) is usually a chordal seventh and wants to go down a step. For example, the F♯ in V7/V (D–F♯–A–C) rises to G, and the B♭ in V7/IV (C–E–G–B♭) falls to A.
Voice Leading
- Treat the applied dominant exactly like a real V or V7 in the key of its target: its leading tone (the 3rd of the chord) resolves up by half step to the target's root, and its seventh resolves down by step.
- Never double the applied leading tone.
- Keep each chromatic change in a single voice. If one voice sings C and the next chord has C♯, let the same voice move C–C♯. Splitting them between two voices produces a cross relation, a harsh clash that is avoided in this style.
- All the usual rules still apply: no parallel fifths or octaves, complete chords at resolutions where possible, good spacing.
Where Applied Dominants Go
- V/V and V7/V are by far the most common. They intensify the approach to the dominant, often at a cadence: ii6–V7/V–V, or V7/V–I64–V. (The cadential six-four delays the target, but V/V still points to V.)
- V7/IV gives a lift into the subdominant, often right after the opening tonic.
- V/vi sets up a deceptive feeling or a turn toward the relative minor.
- V/ii and V/iii are less common but appear in chains (see below).
- Applied chords can appear in inversion (V65/V, V42/IV), which makes smooth chromatic bass lines.
Chains of Applied Dominants
When each chord is the applied dominant of the next, you get a chromatic descending-fifths sequence, the "real" sequence mentioned in Chapter 15. Every chord is a dominant seventh, and every one resolves to the next: V7/vi–V7/ii–V7/V–V7–I. This chain drives ragtime, early jazz, and many Romantic sequences.
Try It: Applied Dominant Builder
Applied Dominant Builder
Choose a key and an applied dominant. You'll see it spelled, voiced between the tonic and its target, and resolved. The temporary leading tone is red; the seventh is blue.
Summary
- An applied (secondary) dominant is the V or V7 of a chord other than the tonic: V/x. It tonicizes its target briefly without changing key.
- To spell V/x: go up a perfect 5th from the target's root and build a major triad or dominant seventh chord there.
- Only major and minor triads can be tonicized.
- Raised notes usually rise (leading tones); lowered notes usually fall (sevenths).
- Resolve the applied leading tone up and the seventh down; don't double the leading tone; avoid cross relations.